Continuous reforming-regeneration process

ABSTRACT

A METHOD OF OPERATING A CONTINUOUS REFORMING-REGENERATION PROCESS COMPRISING ONE OR MORE REFORMING REACTORS AND EMPLOYING A PLATINUM CATALYST WHEREIN CATSLYST ACTIVITY IS MAINTAINED AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL BY CONTINUOUS REGENERATION THEREOF WITHOUT THE REMOVAL OF ANY REACTOR FROM THE PROCESS STREAM.

March 7, 1972 A. RGREEN Q ETAL 3,647,680

CONTINUOUS REFORMING -REG ENERATION P11061353 Filed Sept. 25, 1969 I IAIVENTORS Arthur R. Greenwood Kenneth D. Vase/y f f (fa-M MM ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 208-65 22 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of operating a continuous reforming-regeneration process comprising one or more reforming reactors and employing a platinum catalyst wherein catalyst act1vity is maintained at a predetermined level by continuous regeneration thereof without the removal of any reactor from the process stream.

The reforming of hydrocarbon feed stocks, such as a naphtha fraction derived from petroleum, utilizing a platinum group metal-alumina catalyst, is a process well known in the art. Briefly, a naphtha feed stock is admixed with hydrogen and contacted with the catalyst, usually in a fixed bed reaction zone, at reforming conditions of temperature and pressure to cause at least a portion of a naphtha feed stock to be upgraded to products of improved octane value. Prior art reforming processes generally comprise one of two types of operation, Le, a nonregenerative type and a regenerative type. In the practice of a non-regenerative type of operation, the catalyst is maintained in continuous use over an extended period of time, say from about 5 months to about a year or more depending on the quality of the catalyst and the nature of the feed stock. Following this extended period of operation, the reforming reactor is taken off stream while the catalyst is regenerated or replaced with fresh catalyst. In the practice of the regenerative type of operation, the catalyst is regenerated with greater frequency utilizing a multiple fixed bed reactor system arranged for serial flow of the feed stock in such a manner that at least one reactor can be taken off stream while the catalyst is regenerated or replaced with fresh catalyst, one or more companion reactors remaining on stream, or going on stream, to replace the off stream reactor. Subsequently, the regenerated fixed bed reactor is placed on stream while another is taken off stream and the catalyst bed is regenerated or replaced with fresh catalyst in like manner.

It is apparent from the brief description of prior art non-regenerative and regenerative reforming processes that both means of operation embody centain undesirable features. For example, in the non-regenerative type of operation, the entire plant is usually taken off stream to effect regeneration or replacement of the catalyst with a resultant significant loss in production. Further, the non-regenerative type of operation is characterized by a continuing decline in catalyst activity during the processing period requiring an operation of increasing severity to maintain product quality, usually at the expense of product quantity. In the regenerative type of operation utilizing a multiple fixed bed reactor system, or swing reactor system, similar problems are encountered although to a lesser degree. However, the start up and shut down procedures relating to insertion and removal of a reactor in the process stream are unduly complicated and require a complex system of valves, lines and other equipment to accomplish reactor change over with a minimum loss of process time.

3,647,680 Patented Mar. 7, 1972 It is therefore desirable to provide a reforming process which would substantially obviate the undesirable features of prior art non-regenerative and regenerative type reforming processes. More specifically, it would be desirable to have a reforming process whereby a predetermined high level of catalyst activity and stability is maintained Without resorting to the removal of the reforming reactor from the process stream and a consequent loss of process time.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to present an improved catalytic reforming process whereby a predetermined high level of catalyst activity and stability is maintained over extended periods of time. Thus, in accordance with ,one embodiment of this invention, there is provided a method of operating a continuous reforming-regeneration process employing a platinum group metal catalyst which comprises pre-heating a hydrogen-hydrocarbon reaction mixture to reforming temperature, charging the reaction mixture to a reactor and treating the reactant stream therein at reforming conditions in contact with a moving bed of catalyst particles; withdrawing used catalyst particles from the said reactor while maintaining the same on stream at reforming conditions; passing the catalyst particles to a regenerator comprising in sequence a carbon burn-off zone, a halogenation zone and a drying zone; moving said particles through said carbon burn-off, charging an oxygen-containing gas thereto in contact with said particles and recycling at least a portion of the resulting flue gases to said carbon burn-off zone to effect a controlled burning and removal of carbon from said particles; passing the particles substantially free of carbon in a continuing moving bed through said halogenation zone in contact with steam admixed with halogen in a mole ratio of at least about 1:1 and diluted with air to effect halogen addition thereto; passing the halogenated particles in a continuing moving bed through said drying zone; moving said particles through said carbon burn-off, stream of hot dry air; withdrawing catalyst particles from said drying zone, treating the same in contact with hydrogen at a temperature of from about about 800 to about 1200 F., and adding the reduced catalyst particles to the catalyst contained in the aforesaid reactor to effect a substantially constant catalyst inventory therein.

Another embodiment includes the above method wherein the catalyst particles from said drying zone and hydro gen are processed downwardly as a moving bed through a confined reduction zone in the upper portion of the reforming reactor to effect an indirect heat exchanger relationship with the hot reaction mixture charged thereto whereby said catalyst particles are reduced in contact with hydrogen at a temperature of from about 800 to about 1200 F., the reduced catalyst particles being processed downwardly and added to the moving catalyst bed contained in said reactor to effect a substantially constant inventory therein.

Other objects and embodiments of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed specification.

The catalyst employed in the practice of this invention comprises a platinum group metal, combined halogen and alumina, the platinum group metal and combined halogen preferably being coposited with a spherical alumina such as prepared by the oil drop method described in US. Pat. No. 2,620,314 issued to James Hoekstra. Preferably, the catalyst will comprise platinum and combined chlorine composited with alumina. It is understood that the catalyst may further include a promoter, such a rhenium, as practiced in the art. Other platinum group metals including palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium and irridum are suitable although less commonly employed. Also, other refractory inorganic oxides including silica, zirconia, boria, thoria, etc., as well as composites thereof such as silica-alumina, alumina-boria, and the like, may be used with satisfactory results. Generally, the platinum group metal will comprise from about 0.01 to about 5.0 wt. percent of the catalyst composite, from about 0.10 to about 0.80 wt. percent being preferred. While the halogen component may be chlorine, bromine, fiuorine and/ or iodine, chlorine is most usually utilized to impart the desired acid-acting character to the catalyst. The halogen component suitably comprising from about 0.50 to about 1.5 wt. percent of the catalyst composite, is measured as elemental halogen although present in a combined form with one or more of the other catalyst components. Those skilled in the art are familiar with the preparation of the reforming catalyst herein contemplated and, since the novelty of the present invention does not reside in the catalyst per se, a further detailed description is not warranted.

Catalystic reforming conditions include a temperature of from about 700 to about 1000 F., a pressure of from about 50 to about 1000 p.s.i.g., a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0.2 to about 10, and a hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio of from 1:1 to about 10: 1. The method if this invention is particularly adapted to low pressure reforming, preferably at a pressure of from about 50 to about 200 p.s.i.g. Since the reforming reaction is endothermic in nature, in the event a multiple reactor system is employed, the efiiuent from a given reactor is generally reheated to reaction temperature prior to introduction into the next succeeding reactor.

As used herein, the term activity relates to the capacity of the catalyst system to convert the low octane naphtha feed stock to a relatively high octane product, for example, a gasoline fraction with an octane rating in excess of about 90, at a given temperature, pressure and space velocity. The concept of the present invention permits reforming of the hydrocarbon feed stock in contact With a catalyst system characterized by a substantially constant activity level. This is accomplished in part by the method of this invention which provides for the constant replacement of used catalyst in the system with regenerated catalyst whereby the catalyst system remains at a substantially constant activity level at a given temperature, pressure and space velocity. This is in contrast to conventional non-regenerative and regenerative operations where catalyst activity is maintained at a constant level by increasing the severity of the operation.

In the schematic drawing, the reactant stream is depicted as being processed through a multiple reactor sysactor system comprising two vertically stacked reactors with intermediate heating of the reactant stream between reactors. However, it is understood that the reactant stream may be processed through a multiple reactor system comprising reactors arranged side-by-side in the common fashion and with intermediate heating of the reactant stream between reactors to maintain desired reforming temperatures in the various reactors. It is further understood that a single reactor system may be employed, or any combination of the described systems. In the multiple reactor syste, fresh or reconditioned catalyst may be continuously added to an initial or top reactor and processed serially or sequentially through the reactor system, the catalyst being withdrawn from the final or bottom reactor, as the case may be, for reconditioning in accordance with the method of this invention. Alternatively, fresh or reconditioned catalyst may be continuously added to each of two or more reactors, the catalyst being withdrawn from each of said reactors in incremental amounts for reconditioning according to the method of this invention. In the latter case, the used catalyst from the various reactors is commingled in a common hopper, regenerated according to the method of this invention, and subsequently distributed to said reactors as required to maintain a substantially constant catalyst inventory therein. Alternatively, the catalyst of a selected reactor may be periodically regenerated while maintaining all reactors of the system, including the selected reactor, on stream at reforming conditions.

In the preferred multiple reactor system comprising stacked reactors, the reactor system will in effect have a common catalyst bed moving as a substantially unbroken column of particles from the top reactor to the bottom reactor. Thus, used catalyst is withdrawn from the bottom reactor while regenerated catalyst is added to the top reactor, and the catalyst of the reactor system is regenerated with all reactors remaining on stream at reforming conditions.

Referring then to the drawing, and at the same time setting forth an illustrative operation, a straight-run gasoline fraction boiling in the ZOO-400 F. range is charged to the process through line 1 at a liquid hourly space velocity of about 2.0, entering a heater 2 in admixture with a hydrogen-rich gas stream recycled through line 3 from a product separator not shown. In a conventional reforming operation, a considerable excess of hydrogen is admixed with the hydrocarbon charge to minimize carbon formation on the catalyst. Typically, hydrogen is employed in about a 10:1 mole ratio with the hydrocarbon charge. However, the method of this invention, wherein the catalyst is subjected to frequent regeneration, affords a substantial reduction in hydrogen consumption. Preferably, the hydrogen-hydrocarbon mole ratio is from about 1:1 to about 5:1. Thus, in the present illustration, the heated combined stream comprises hydrogen and hydrocarbon in a mole ratio of about 3:1, said heated combined stream being withdrawn from the heater 2 by way of line 4 and charged into the upper portion of reforming reactor 5.

Reforming reactor 5 is shown in vertical alignment with reforming reactor 11, with an intermediate heater 10. The reforming catalyst charged to reactor 5, as hereinafter described, is comprised of spherical diameter particles containing about 0.375 wt. percent platinum and 0.9 wt. percent combined chlorine, the remainder being alumina. The reactor temperatures are maintained in the 850-950 F. range and the pressure at about 200 p.s.i.g. Reforming reactor 5 is shown with catalyst confined in an annular moving bed 6 formed by spaced cylindrical screens 7. The reactant stream is passed in an out-to-in radial flow through the catalyst bed, the reactant stream continuing downwardly through the cylindrical space 8 formed by said annular bed 6 and exiting to heater 10 by way of line 9. Since the reaction is endothermic, the efiiuent from the reactor 5 is reheated in heater 10 and thereafter charged to reactor 11 through line 12. Again, the reactants stream is passed in an out-to-in radial flow through the annular catalyst bed 13 substantially as described with respect to reactor 5, the fiow passing downwardly through the cylindrical space 14 and passing from reactor 11 by way of line 15. The reactor efiiuent withdrawn through line 15 is passed to conventional product separation facilities for recovery of high octane product, for example, a reformate having a clear octane number rating of about 95, and recovery and recycle of a hydrogen-rich gas stream to the reactor system.

The catalyst particles descending through the reactor 5 as an annular moving 'bed 6, are continued to the annular moving bed 13 of reactor 11 by way of catalyst transfer conduits 16 and 17. Conduits 16 and 17 represent a multitude of catalyst transfer conduits permitting passage of the catalyst between said annular beds 6 and 13 and effecting a suitable pressure drop whereby substantially all of the reactant stream from reactor 5 is directed through the heater 10 by way of line 9 with only a minimal amount by-passing said heater 10 and passing directly to reactor 11 together with the catalyst flow through conduits 16 and 17. Thus, in effect, the reactor system has a common catalyst bed moving as a substantially unbroken column of particles through the top reactor 5 and the bottom reactor 11; In the present exam ple, the used catalyst is withdrawn through lines 18 and 19 at a rate such that the catalyst inventory of the reactor system is replaced in 30 day cycles. The catalyst is withdrawn intermittently through line 20 and by means of control valve 21 to effect a moving bed type of operation, the catalyst being discharged into a lockhopper 22 for separation of residual hydrocarbon therefrom. The used catalyst is subsequently transferred through line 23 and control valve 24 to a lift engager 25 to be lifted in a nitrogen stream to a disengaging hopper 28 by way of line 27. The catalyst is lifted to said hopper 28 by a flow of nitrogen charged to the lift engager 25 through line 26 from an external source not shown. Nitrogen is charged to the lift engager 25 at the rate of about 531 standard cubic feet per hour and at a temperature of about 100 F.

The used catalyst deposited in the disengaging hopper 28 comprises about 0.7 wt. percent combined chloride and 2-5 wt. percent carbon. An overhead line 29 is provided to vent the disengaging hopper 28 to the atmos phere or to recycle the nitrogen. Catalyst particles from the disengaging hopper 28 are fed through line 30 to a catalyst regenerator comprising a carbon burn-off zone 31, a chlorination zone 32, and a drying zone 33. The catalyst particles are processed downwardly, as a moving bed or column in a confined regeneration zone 34, passing from the carbon burn-off zone 31 to the chlorination zone 32. Chlorinated and substantially carbon-free particles are then continued downwardly through the drying zone 33 and contacted therein with a hot, dry air flow to effect the separation of excess adsorbed gaseous components from the catalyst.

In the present example, the catalyst particles are passed from the disengaging hopper 28 to the catalyst regenerator at an average rate of about 200 pounds per hour. The catalyst particles are processed downwardly through the carbon burn-off zone 31 at a rate to establish an average residence time therein of about 2 hours.

In the carbon burn-off zone 31, the catalyst particles are heated in contact with an oxygen-containing gas including hot recycle gases charged to the carbon bumoff zone 31 at a gaseous hourly space velocity of about 4700 by way of line 44. The oxygen-containing gas is derived from air charged to the drying zone 33 by way of line 35, the air becoming admixed with steam, chlorine, and HCl on passing upwardly through the chlorination zone 32, and the gaseous mixture continuing upwardly through the carbon burn-off zone 31 in contact with the catalyst particles contained therein. The resulting gaseous products, including oxides of carbon and sulfur, are withdrawn from the carbon burn-off zone '31 as flue gases through line 36. In some cases, it may be desirable to separate sulfur components from the flue gases prior to recycle. In that event, the flue gases are charged to a scrubber 37 wherein they are admixed with a caustic stream recycled from a caustic settling tank 40 through a cooler 65 and line 38. The mixture is then passed to the caustic settling tank via line 39. The resulting flue gases, substantially free of halogen and oxides of sulfur, are recovered overhead from the settling tank 40 through line 41 and charged by means of a blower 42 through a heater 43 and line 44 to the carbon burnotf zone 31 as aforesaid. The heater 43 is provided for start-up operation, The gases recycled to the carbon burn-off zone 31 comprise about 0.7 wt. percent oxygen to effect a controlled burning at a temperature of from about 830 to about 930 F. in the burn-off zone. An overhead vent line 45 is provided to discharge excess flue gas from the process.

The catalyst particles, substantially free of carbon are processed downwardly from the carbon burn-off zone 31 through the chlorination zone 32 at conditions to effect an average residence time therein of about 1 hour. In the chlorination zone 32, the catalyst particles are brought in contact with about a 2:1 mole ratio of steam and chlorine charged thereto through line 46, the steam and chlorine being admixed with air passing upwardly from the drying zone 33 as previously mentioned. Steam is charged to the system at a temperature of about 450 F. and at a rate of about 2.4 pounds per hour through line 47. The steam is passed through line 50 together with recycle vapors contained therein and admixed with chlorine from line 48, the chlorine being charged at a rate of about 1.45 pounds per hour. The steam-chlorine mixture is heated to about 930 F. in heater 49 and charged to the chlorination zone 32 through line 46 at a gaseous hourly space velocity of about 4700. A recycle stream comprising excess steam and chlorine is withdrawn from the chlorination zone 32 by way of line 50 and circulated by means of a blower 51 as a portion of the steam-chlorine charged to the chlorination zone 32.

From the chlorination zone 32, the catalyst particles are continued downwardly through the drying zone 33 whereby vaporous components are stripped from the catalyst by a flow of dry air. The air is charged to the system through line 52 from an external source not shown and heated to 800-1000 F. in heater 53 prior to being charged to the drying zone 33 through line 35. The air is charged at a gaseous hourly space velocity of about 150.

The catalyst particles are withdrawn from the regenerator at regular intervals by way of line 54 through control valve 55 and collected in lock-hopper 56. The catalyst is subsequently transferred to a lift engager 57 through line 58 and control valve 64 to be conveyed to the reforming reactor 5. The catalyst particles are carried through line 60 by a dry, pure hydrogen stream introduced to the lift engager 57 by way of line 59 at about 3300 standard cubic feet per hour and at a temperature of about ambient. The hydrogen is subsequently used as a reducing gas and as a portion of the hydrogen feed to the reforming reactor 5.

Prior to direct contact with the reactant stream in reforming reactor 5, the catalyst, in admixture with hydrogen, is processed in a dense phase through a reducing zone 61 to effect an indirect heat exchange with hot reaction gases charged to said reactor. The catalyst is processed downwardly through the reduction zone 61 at a rate to establish a residence time of about 2 hours therein at a temperature of 950-l000 F. The resulting reduced catalyst is thereafter added to the catalyst bed through lines 62 and 63 replacing that withdrawn from the reactor system through lines 18 and 19 for regeneration.

The method of this invention finds particular application with respect to low pressure reforming. While low hydrogen partial pressures favor the main octane-improving reactions, e.g., dehydrogenation of parafiins and naphthenes, a principal objection to low pressure reforming is in the excessive formation of carbon resulting from condensation and polymerization reactions also favored by low hydrogen partial pressures. However, the continuous reforming-regeneration process of this invention substantially obviates this objection, and the relative catalyst instability resulting from carbon formation is no longer a limiting factor to a successful low pressure reforming operation.

Any added advantage derived from the practice of this invention is in the increased and continued supply of hydrogen available for hydrogen-consuming refinery operations, such as hydrocracking.

We claim as our invention:

1. A method of operating a continuous reforming-regeneration process employing a platinum group metal catalyst which comprises:

(a) preheating a hydrogen-hydrocarbon reaction mixture to reforming temperature, charging the reaction mixture to a reactor, and treating the reactant stream therein at reforming conditions in contact with an annular moving bed of catalyst particles moving as a substantially unbroken column through said reactor, with a substantially lateral flow of the reactant stream therethrough;

(b) withdrawing used catalyst particles from said reactor While maintaining the same on stream at reforming conditions;

(c) passing the catalyst particles to a regenerator comprising in sequence a carbon burn-off zone, a halogenation zone and a drying zone;

(d) moving said particles through said carbon burnoff zone, charging an oxygen-containing gas thereto in contact with said particles and recycling at least a portion of the resulting flue gases to said carbon burn-off zone to effect a controlled burning and removal of carbon from said particles;

(e) passing the particles substantially free of carbon in a continuing moving bed through said halogenation zone in contact with steam admixed with a halogen in a mole ratio of at least about 1:1 and diluted with air to effect halogen addition thereto;

(f) passing the halogenated particles in a continuing moving bed through said drying zone and drying said particles therein in contact with a stream of hot dry arr;

(g) withdrawing catalyst particles from said drying zone, treating the same in contact with hydrogen at a temperature of from about 800 to about 1200 F., and adding the resulting reduced catalyst particles to the catalyst contained in the aforesaid reactor to effect a substantially constant catalyst inventory therein.

2. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that said carbon burn-off zone is maintained at a temperature of from about 750 to about 950 F.

3. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that said reforming conditions include a temperature of from about 700 to about 1000 F., a pressure of from about 50 to about 200 p.s.i.g., a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0.2 to about 10, and a hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio of from about 1:1 to about 10:1.

4. The method of claim 1 further characterized with respect to step (d) in that said flue gas recycled to said carbon burn-off zone comprises from about 0.5 to about 1.5 mole percent oxygen.

5. The method of claim 1 further characterized with respect to step (d) in that said flue gas is recycled to said carbon burn-off zone through a scrubbing means to effect the separation of S0 contained therein.

6. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that said halogenation zone is maintained at a temperature of from about 750 to about 950 F.

7. The method of claim 1 further characterized with respect to step (e) in that said steam is admixed with chlorine in a mole ratio of at least about 1:1.

8. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that said drying zone is maintained at a temperature of from about 750 to about 1150 F.

9. The method of claim 1 further characterized with respect to step (g) in that said catalyst particles from said drying zone and hydrogen are processed downwardly as a moving bed through a confined reducing zone in the upper portion of said reactor to effect an indirect heat exchange relationship with the hot reaction mixture charged thereto whereby said catalyst particles are reduced in contact with hydrogen at a temperature of from about 800 to about 1200 F., the reduced particles being processed downwardly and added to the moving catalyst bed of said reactor to effect a substantially constant inventory in said reactor.

10. A method of operating a continuous reformingregeneration process employing a platinum group metal catalyst which comprises:

(a) pre-heating a hydrogen-hydrocarbon reaction mixture to reforming temperature and charging the same to a multiple reactor system comprising stacked reactors openly connected through a catalyst transfer conduit, each reactor containing a moving bed of catalyst particles disposed therein; moving said particles downwardly from the moving bed of an upper reactor to the moving bed of a next lower reactor through said catalyst transfer conduit whereby a pressure drop is created across said conduit and the reactant stream passing downwardly through the upper reactor in contact with the catalyst contained for; passing the reactant stream from said upper reactor through a heating means, and charging the reheated stream to the next lower reactor in contact with the moving bed of catalyst particles contained therein;

(b) withdrawing used catalyst particles from the bottom reactor while maintaining all reactors on stream at reforming conditions;

(0) passing the catalyst particles to a regenerator comprising in sequence a carbon burn-off zone, a halogenation zone and a drying zone;

((1) moving said particles through said carbon burnoff zone, charging an oxygen-containing gas thereto in contact with said particles and recycling at least a portion of the resulting flue gases to said carbon burn-off zone to effect a controlled burning and removal of carbon from said particles;

(e) passing the particles substantially free of carbon in a continuing moving bed through said halogenation zone in contact with steam admixed with a halogen and a mole ratio of at least about 1:1 and diluted with air to effect halogen addition thereto.

(f) passing the halogenated particles in a continuing moving bed through said drying zone and drying said particles therein in contact with a stream of hot dry air;

,(g) withdrawing catalyst particles from said drying zone, treating the same in contact with hydrogen at a temperature of from about 800 to about 1200 F., and adding the resulting reduced catalyst particles to the catalyst contained in the aforesaid stacked reactor system to effect a substantially constant catalyst inventory therein.

11. A method of claim 10 further characterized in that said carbon burn-off zone is maintained at a temperature of from about 750 to about 950 F.

12. The method of claim 10 further characterized in that said reforming conditions include a temperature of from about 700 to about 1000 F., a pressure of from about 50 to about 200 p.s.i.g., a liquid hourly space velocity of from about .2 to about 10, and a hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio of from about 1:1 to about 10: 1.

13. The method of claim 10 further characterized with respect to a step (a) in that said stacked reactors contain said catalyst in an annular moving bed, moving as a substantially unbroken column of particles through said reactors, with a substantially lateral flow of the reactant stream therethrough.

14. The method of claim 10 further characterized with respect to step (d) in that said flue gas recycled to said carbon burn-off zone comprises from about 0.1 to about 1.5 mole percent oxygen.

15. The method of claim 10 further characterized with respect to step (d) in that said flue gas is recycled to said carbon burn-off zone through a scrubbing means to effect the scrubbing means of S0 contained therein.

16. The method of claim 10 further characterized in that said halogenation zone is maintained at a temperature of from about 750 to about 950 F.

17. The method of claim 10 further characterized with respect to step (d) in that said steam is admixed with chlorine in a mole ratio of at least about 1:1.

18. The method of claim 10 further characterized in that said drying zone is maintained at at temperature of from about 750 to about 1150 F.

19. The method of claim 10 further characterized with respect to step (g) in that said catalyst particles from said drying zone are charged together with hydrogen to the top reactor of said stacked reactor system and processed downwardly as a moving bed through a confined reducing zone in the upper portion of said reactor to effect an indirect heat exchange relationship with the hot reaction mixture charged to the upper portion thereof whereby said catalyst particles are reduced in contact with hydrogen at a temperature of from about 800 to about 1200 F., the reduced particles being processed downwardly and added to the moving catalyst bed of said reactor to effect a substantially constant catalyst inventory in said reactor system.

20. A method of operating a reforming process employing spheroidal platinum group metal-containing catalyst particles which comprises:

(a) preheating a hydrogen-hydrocarbon reactant stream to reforming temperature and charging the same to a multiple reactor system comprising at least two stacked reactors, the reactant stream being charged to the top reactor of the stacked reactors, each of which contains an annular moving catalyst bed with a substantially lateral flow of the reactant stream therethrough, said beds being interconnected through a pluarlity of spaced apart, elongated catalyst transfer conduits whereby a pressure drop is created across said conduits precluding passage of the reactant stream therethrough to the next lower reactor;

(b) withdrawing the reactant stream from each reactor and passing the same through a reheating means to the next lower reactor in contact with the catalyst therein, and discharging the reactant stream from the last of the stacked reactors to be passed to a next processing zone;

() at least periodically adding fresh catalyst to the top reactor of the stacked reactors while moving the catalyst downwardly through said transfer conduits to the. next lower reactor, and withdrawing used 10 catalyst from the bottom reactor for transfer to a regeneration step, while maintaining all reactors on stream at reforming conditions.

21. The method of claim 20 further characterized in that said reforming conditions include a temperature of from about 700 to about 1000 F., a pressure of from about to about 200 p.s.i.g., a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0.2 to about 10, and a hydrogen to hydrocarbon mole ratio of from about 1:1 to about 10:1.

22. The method of claim 20 further characterized with respect to step (c) in that said fresh catalyst is added to said top reactor through a confined reducing zone in indirect heat exchange relationship with the preheated reactant stream charged to said reactor, said catalyst being processed downwardly through said reducing zone in contact with a concurrent How of hydrogen whereby said catalyst is reduced at a temperature of from about 800 to about 1200 F., the last mentioned hydrogen being subsequently admixed with the hydrogen-hydrocarbon reactant stream.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,689,821 9/1954 Inhotf et a1. 208175 2,854,405 9/ 1958 Bergstrom 208l75 3,003,948 9/1961 Evans 208 3,132,092 5/1964 Vaell 208l 2,856,350 10/1958 Love 208-- 2,856,351 10/1958 Welty et a1. 208140 3,117,076 1/1964 Brennan et a1 208140 3,134,732 5/1965 Kearby et a1. 208140 3,375,190 3/1968 McHenry et a1. 208140 HERBERT LEVINE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE QE'NMCATE r conciim Patent No. 3,647,680 Dated March 7, l972 lnventofls) Arthur R. Greenwood and Kenneth D. Vesely It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2 l ines 38-39, change moving said particles through said carbon burn-off" to --and drying said particles therein in contact with a--; line 62 change 'coposited" to --composited-- Column 3, line l8, change "catalystic" to --catalytic--; line 23, change if to --of--; lines 48-49, delete "sys-actor" line 59, change "syste" to --system-- Column 6, line 3, change "any" to --an- Column 8, line. l0, change "for" to --therein is directed to a reactor outlet provided therefore--; line 30, change "and to --in--; line 65, delete means"; l ine 7l change (d) to --(e)--.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of April 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

